Contents:
- Medical Video: How to Create a Healthy Plate
- Tips for children to like vegetables
- 1. Invite the child to prepare food
- 2. Provide a variety of foods
- 3. Don't force children to eat
- 4. Keep trying again
- 5. You are an example for children
Medical Video: How to Create a Healthy Plate
Vegetables are foods that are not usually liked by children. In fact, vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals that are needed for the growth and development of children. Maybe because the taste is not familiar on the tongue, children become less fond of vegetables. Well, this is your job as a parent to make children familiar with vegetables so that children like vegetables. How to?
People say, children's eating patterns are a reflection of a parent's diet or eating habits that are commonly applied in his family. Yes, children imitate their parents' behavior or what they usually see. So that children like vegetables, parents can teach them from childhood. Childhood is a time when children explore various things and parents can introduce new things to children at this time, for example, introduce children to various types of vegetables.
Tips for children to like vegetables
Start with the smallest things around the child. To like it, of course children must know and know vegetables first. Starting from getting children to see vegetables, knowing their names, trying their taste, and then children can become like vegetables.
1. Invite the child to prepare food
You can start by taking a vegetable shopping child. By inviting children to shop for vegetables, you are actually introducing various types of vegetables to children. Of course, in supermarkets or in traditional markets there are various types of vegetables. Let the child choose the type of vegetable he wants, then let him recognize the shape, color, texture, and name of the vegetable.
After accompanying you shopping, invite children to help you cook. Children can help you wash vegetables, or if your child is older, you can allow him to cut vegetables with your supervision. In this way, children will get to know more vegetables and how to cook them. Children will be more curious so they want to try the food they cook with you. By involving children preparing food, children will be more eager to eat.
2. Provide a variety of foods
To be able to introduce children to vegetables and make children familiar with vegetables, you must make it a habit to always provide vegetables every day at home. Always provide and serve various types of food at family meal times. Offer children food consisting of vegetables when a child is hungry is also one way to get children to eat vegetables.
Introducing vegetables to children can start with small portions. Don't give the child one plate full of food that he doesn't know or doesn't like. This will make it uncomfortable. At mealtime, you can ask him to try one type of new vegetable in one or two bites. Provide these new vegetables with other foods that your child likes, you can add vegetables to one food menu that the child likes. For example, add broccoli to teriyaki meat, add beans to the cakes, and others.
Another way is to make food as something funny for children. You can create food with funny shapes, such as face shapes, animal shapes, children's favorite cartoon characters, and other funny things. This will make children more interested and more happy to eat.
3. Don't force children to eat
If children do not want to eat vegetables provided by you, you should not anger or force children to eat vegetables. Experts say that forcing children to eat certain foods can make children avoid these foods, even this can be carried away until he grows up. Forcing children to eat will also trigger a small debate between you and the child so that the atmosphere of eating becomes uncomfortable for the child, eventually the child does not even have appetite. Worse, children can consider eating time as a bad experience.
4. Keep trying again
If your child doesn't like vegetables the first time you provide them, you shouldn't be forced. You can provide it another time and keep trying. Indeed, making children know vegetables until they like it takes time. Children need to try new food many times before he can like it. Research shows that it takes ten or more trials until the child receives new food. Children's tastes can change with growth.
5. You are an example for children
What the child sees, he will imitate. Likewise with the problem of eating, what children see from their parents, he will certainly follow it. It must be more difficult if you ask your child to eat vegetables while you don't eat vegetables yourself. So, make sure you eat vegetables and let your child see them. You can set a meal time with your family, so children can see the vegetable menu provided and see you and all family members eating vegetables. That way, children will be more interested in trying vegetables. Also, create a comfortable dining atmosphere so that eating time is a pleasant experience for children.
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